CA2006841A1

CA2006841A1 - Anhydrous chewing gum with improved stability

Info

Publication number: CA2006841A1
Application number: CA002006841A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Subraman R. Cherukuri; Gul Mansukhani; Tommy L. Chau
Original assignee: Warner Lambert Co LLC
Current assignee: Warner Lambert Co LLC
Priority date: 1988-12-29
Filing date: 1989-12-28
Publication date: 1990-06-29
Also published as: JPH02222652A; US4954353A; EP0376468A3; DK670089A; DK670089D0; EP0376468A2; FI896282A0; KR900008962A; NO895264D0; ZA899968B; NO895264L

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
Chewing gum compositions resistant to moisture pickup and hardening and having a moisture content less than about 1.0% and preferably less than about 0.3% by weight of the final composition, including a hard or a soft gum base, flavoring agent, sweetening agent, and a hydrophobic softening agent. The present composition may be formed without cooling and does not require conditioning prior to wrapping. Prior to wrapping the gum pieces may be coated with a sweetening agent in the known manner at ambient temperatures and up to 80%
relative humidity.

Description

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, j ANHYDROUS CHEWING GUM WITH IMPROVED STABILITY
Background of the Invention . .
The present invention relates t~ sugarless and sugar containing gums, including chewing gums and bubble gums, and more particularly to gum compositions substantially free Prom water and having desirable resistance to moisture pick up.
Conventional chewing gum process steps disclosed in the prior art lnvolve cooling, extxuding and ~orming into gum pieces, the formulated chewing gum composition. The formed gum must then be conditioned ~setting) for 24-4~ hours. Additionally, if the chewing gum is to be a hard sugar-coated gum piece (e.g., a pellet or ball), usually 48 hours of aonditioning at 66-- 70F./RH 47-55% iS required prior to the application of the coating. It is traditionally necessary to apply - the coating under controlled temperature conditions ~ 0-85F.) at low relativQ humidity ~RH 24 40%). These ;- conditions must be maintained closely or serious processing problems can result. For example, changes in the temperature and humidity outside o~ thesa ranges ~ cause so~tening of the gum and deformation of shape i; which makes coating dif~icult. The problem has been ~; well-known for many years and is especially harmful in i -25areas with extreme climates such as the tropics~ If the ~' chewing gum is formed as a slab or stick gum, one prior art method required immediately wrapping the gum subsequent to 24-48 hour conditioning in order that the gum product would retain its freshness.
30~ Addltionally, conventional gum processes, ~ which used traditional high speed wrapping machines ~ ;
b (e.g., 800-1800 sticks or slabs per minute), require the - wrapping to be done at controlled temperature and humidi * conditions. If the temperature or humidity ` became too high, the chewing gum composition would stick 35to the rollers and cutters. The individual gum pieces would be wrapped in airtight packages and usually those would be placed in larger boxes w~ich themselves would ..
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be sealed to keep out air and moisture. In spite of all these precautions during processing, conventional chewin~ gum tends to stick to wrappers at high temperatures and to become brittle at low temperatures during storage. Additionally, c:onventional mint flavored chewing gum and some fruit flavors undergo oxidation of the flavors due to the interaction of the flavor with the base in the presence ~f moisture.
Conventional chewing gum formulations generally have a molten chewing gum base~ resins, waxes, fillers, emulsifiers, an aqueous sugar syrup (corn syrup or sorbitol syrup), dry sugar (sucrose or dextrose3 and flavor. The aqueous sugar syrup or non-sugar syrup has always been believed to be a necessary component as far as conventional commercial manufacture,is concerned. As a result, the chewing gum product would ordinarily contain 2% to 8% by weight of moisture. As time passes, conventional products harden and become brittle as the sugar syrup arystallizes and excludes water.
Ingredients such as humectants are employed to re~ard arystallization by retaining water. Not only is this protection temporary at best, compositlon6 contain~ng ~ humectants tend to pick up moisture, resulting in: processing difficulties and moisture-related product degradation.
Moisture related product degradation is one of the prime stability concerns for chewing' gum compositions and products. The environmental factor influencing moisture loss or gain is relative humidity.
It is commonly accepted that the lower the relatiYe ' ~ humidity, the faster things dry out. ~Relative humidity ~RH) is a measure o~ the vapor pressure exerted by the moisture in the atmosphere. As relative humidity increases or decr'eases, the pressure o~ the moisture in the atm'osphere increases or decreases accordingly. Pure ~' 35 water exerts a moisture vapor pressuré equal to 100% RH.
As such, that water will evaporate when stored in any ' environment less than 100% R~ impurities are added ;'' . ~ ..

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2006~1 to that water, the moisture vapor pressure will decrease.
Eguilibrium relative humidlty (ERH) is a means of identifying the susceptibility or propensity of the ~` 5 compositlon to moisture gain or loss, which in turn relate~ to the tendency for the gum to remain moisture stable and to not dry out or become stale, or pick up moisture and degrade. When the product neither picks up ~ -or loses moisture, i~ is in a state o~ e~uilibrium with the environment. The ERH measurement depends on the ratio of free moisture to bound moisture in a product and the temperature. The`amoun~ and rate at which a chewing gum loses or gain~ moisture depends on the ~,, differential between the product's ERH and ambient RH.
The trans~er of moisture will be in the direction from high to low RH until an equilibrium state is reached.
The prior art has addressed the problem of crystallization wlth low-moisture products that do not exclude water and harden when expo~ed to conditions of RH lower than ERH. U.S. Patent No. 4,514,422 discloses a composition with less than 2% moisture derived from ` ; the use of 10% to 18% by weight of glycerin, a humectant, a~ a softener. However, the composition has an ERH less than 25% and is susceptlble to molsture gain, and the problems related therewith, when the RH
exceeds this.
Chewing gum compo~itions are known using propylene glycol in combination with glycerin at levels ~ between 10% to 18% by weight. While this results in a `~ composition with a higher ERH, the product is still susceptible to moisture gain and moisture gain related ' problems.
U.S. Patent No. 4,581,234 dis~lose~ a composition with less than 0.3~ moisture and resistant to moisture gain up to 80~ RH. However, critical to the function of this product is the use o~ a sof gum base, de~ined as having a softening point between about 40~C
~ and about 60~C. Chewing gu~ compositions resistant to :' 'I

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hardening and moisture gain ha~ing formulations in which the choice-of gum base softening point i8 not critical would be highly desirable.
U.S. Patent No. 4,753,806 discloses a composition with 2 to 8S moisture a~d relati~ely high ERE formulated with a~ueous hydrogenated starch ~ hydrolysate cooked to a moisture content of 4 to 12% and -~ O to 12 % glycerin.
/~ The presenk invent`ion concerns chewing gum compositions which, unlike those of the prior art, can be processed using fewer steps, thereby saving time and production costs. The process of khe~present invention does not require auch traditional proces~ steps as cooling and conditioning (setting), nor does it require specified relative humidity conditions for coated gums, as does the prior art. Additionally, no protective wrapping is necessary to malntain freshness. The compositions of the present invention do not require one or more moiature containing additives, nor a soft gum base, in order to obtain a formulatlon of viscosity which ia manageable and homogeneous, and which ultimately yields a chewing gum product which has good texture, mouthfeel and/or organoleptic properties. The present compositions, when prepared in the specified manner, have the juiciness, flavor, texture, mouthfeel and other organoleptic characteristic~ of known compositions which use moisture or moisture containing ingredients to achieve these characteristics.
Another advantage of the instant invention is that those ingredients which are ordinarily unstabl~ in the presence o~ moisture, e.g., aspartama, do not present a problem since the inventive composition5 are substantially anhydrous. Thus, traditionally moisture unstable lngredients can b~ added and without fear of deterioration or instability.
Another advantag~ to the instant invention is that the gum product formed from the disalosed compositions and using the disclosed method can be :
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_5_ wrapped immediately after forming without the need for conventional cooling followed by conditioning for 24-48 _~.
hours. The inventive compositions can be wrapped immediately within 2 hours of rolling without fear of wrapping materials adhering to the chewing gum product.
Another advantage o~ the instant invention is that chewing gum products formed by means of the ; disclosed process and containing the disclosed compositions can remain without wrap]ping or protective covering at ambient temperatures for longer periods of time than traditional chewing gums without going stale, becoming tacky or showing instability. Thus, the inventive compositions retain their freshness for up to a year or more without the need for protective, hermetic wrappings.
As stated above, the inventive proces~ does ~- not require all of the proces~ steps of the prior art.
The chewing gum compositions once formed do not have to be cooled prior to formation into gum pieces, nor conditioned prior to wrapping. These advantages are due tb the specific and novel formulations presented herein.
Other advantages of the present compositions and process of preparation will become apparent from the detailed description provided herein.
2S Summary of the Invention The present lnvention is directed to chewing ;~ ~ gum compositions with less than abou~ 1.0% moisture, preferably less than about 0.3% moisture, resistant to moistùre gain, and having good texture, mouthfeel and organoleptic properties and which can be prepared from both low and high softening point gum bases by being ~ormulated with one or more hy~rophobi¢ softening agents. The softening agents include mineral oils, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, polyglycerol esters having hydrophilic-lipophilic balances les~ than ~ 35 about 14, and mixtures thereof. The composition !~! includes a gum base, a flavorin~ agent, and a sweetening agent together with the above-described softening agent.
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Emulsifiers, bulking agents, fillers,`mineral adjuvants and coloring agents may optionally be included.
, Regardless of whether the composition is formulated from a low or high softening point gum base, the resulting composition demonstrates superior resistance to moisture gain heretofore unknown in the ;~ art. The compositions may be prepared by admixing melted gum base, flavoring agent, sweetening agent and the hydrophobic softening agent, until a uniform homogeneous mass is formed. The ~ass is extruded and formed into suitable chewing gum pieces without cooling, and then wrapped. Before wrapp~ng, the pieces may be coated with a sweetening agent at ambient temperatures at up to 80~ RH.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ` -:
Figure 1 is a graph showing weight percent moisture gain against time for chewing gum samples sub;ect to accelerated aging by exposure to 80~ R~I at 27-C.
Figure 2 is a graph showing weight percent ~oisture gain against time for chewing gum samples subject to accelerated aging by exposure to 80% RH at 27-C.
Figure 3 is a graph showing weight percent -moisture gain against time ~or chewing gum samples subject to accelerated aging by exposure to 80% RH at 27C.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE_PREFERRED ~M~ODIMENT
The moisture stable anhydrous chewing gum of the present invention can be prepared in sugar or sugarless gum combinations which can be made into a ! variety of products, e.g., sticks, slabs, chunks, balls, ropes, tablets, and/or center filled products. The chewing gum compositions of the lnstant invention have a moisture content of less than about 1.0% and preferably less than about 0.3~ by weight o~ the ~inal composition.
Noisture containing ingredients, such as aqueou~
solutions and moisture retaining ingredients, such as .
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humectants, are not used and the compositions therefore do not sufer from hardening due to loss of moisture to the atmosphere nor from moisture degradation due to pickup of moisture from the atmosphere.

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hydrophobic softening agent to provide unique chewing gum composition~ having significant resistance to moisture gain, indicative of high ~RH values. While the invention is~ not to bQ limi~ecl to theoretical ~;~ 10 considerations, it is believed that the superior moisture-resistant properties result from the coating of the more hygroscopic ingredients of the composition by the hydrophobic softening agent, thereby preventing their absorption of moisture from the air.
Chewing gum formulations employing the novel ~i method of the present invention will vary greatly depending upon various factors such as the type of ba e used, consistency desiired and other components used to make the final product. In general, amounts of about 5%
to about 55% by weight of the final chewing gum composition are acceptable rOr use, with preferred amounts of about 15 to about 40% and more preferably about 20% to about 35~ by weight.
Unlike U.S. Patent No. 4,581,234 the softening point of the gum base i5 not critical. The gum base may be a traditional hard base having a so~tening point between about 70'C and ahout 120-C, or the gum base may be a soft gum base, which softens at a temperature range between about 40'C and about 60C.
Soft gum bases formulated according to the present ! lnvention demonstxate resistance to molsiture gain superior to that of the chswing gum compositions disolosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,581,234.
The gum base may be any water insolubl~ gum base well known in the art. Illustrative examples of suitable polymers in gum bases include natural and ;~ synthetic elastomers and rubb~rs; and mixtures thereof.
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bases, include, without limitation, substances of vegetable arigin such as chicle, jelutong, balata, crown ....
gum, ~uttapercha, lechicapsi, sorba and the like and mixtures thereof. Synthetic elastomers such as butadlene-styrene copolymer~, isobutylene-isoprene copolymers, polyethylene, polyisobut:ylene, polyvinyl-acetate and mixtures thereof, are particularly useful.
The gum base composition may contain elastomer solvents to aid in softening the rubber component. Such elastomer solvents may comprise methyl, glycerol or pentaerythritol esters of rosins or modified rosins, such as hydrogenated, dimerized or polymeriæed rosins or ; mixtures thereof. Examples of elastomer solvents suitable for use herein include the pentaerythritol ester of partially hydrogenated wood rosin, pen~aerythritol ester of wood rosin, glycerol ester of wood rosin, glycerol ester of partially dimerized rosin, glycerol ester of polymerized rosin, glycerol ester of tall oil rosin, glycerol ester of wood rosin and partially hydrogenated wood rosin and partially hydrogenated methyl ester of rosln, such as polymers of alpha-pinene or beta-pinene, terpene resin~ including polyterpene and mixtures thereof. The solvents may be ; employed in amounts ranging from about 10~ to about 75~
; ~ 25 and preferably from about 45% to about 70% by weigh to ; ~ the gum base.
According to the present invention, the softening agent may be any of the known hydrophob~c softening agen~. This includes natural or petroleum oils or waxes. Preferred hydrophobic softening agents include partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and mineral oils. A particularly useful class of softening ; agents are the polyylycerol esters ha~ing a hydrophilia-lipophilic balance less than about 14. Hydrophilic-lipophilic balance determination is a measurement technique known and used by those skilled in the art to quantify a compound as either hydrophobic or ~- hydroph11ia. Compounds having hydrophllic-lipophilic ,~

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balances less than about 14 are generally considered hydrophobic, while compounds having hydrophilic-lipophilic balances greater than about 14 are generally considered hydrophilic. Mixture of the above softening agents are also acceptable.
Polyglycerol e~ters havLng hydrophilic-lipophilic balances less than about 10 are even more preferred, and balances of less than about 8 are most preferred. Other suitable hydrophobic softening agents include fats and oils ~rom animal sources. Of the vegetable oils, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, hard palm oil, corn oil, and mixtures thereof arle preferred.
Suitable polyglycerol esters include fatty acid esters such as stearate and oleate eisters, including, but not limited to, triglycerol monoisitearate, hexaglycerol distearate, decaglycerol hexaoleate, deca-glyaerol decaoleate and mixtures thereof.
The resistance to moisture pickup of the ch~wing gum compositions o~ the pr~sent invention is a direct ~unction of the guantity of the disclosed so~tening agents used, with any minimal quantity of softening agent contributing an improvement over compositions lacking same. The guantity of softening agent must not exceed that amount capable of ~ -~` 25 plasticizing thç elastomers and resins in the gum base, thereby resulting in too soft of a product lacking 't''~' acceptablQ chew characteristics and tending to disintegrate in the mouth. In general, the amount of softening agent may vary with the desired texture ~ ~ 30 selected for a particular chewing gum base. ~his will ; ~ be a function of gum base hardness, with harder gum `~
bases requiring more softening agent than softer gum bases. The quantity of softening agent should be adequate to provide sufficient discontinuity to the gum base, and can be readily de~ermined by one of average ;-~ 35 skill in the art. This amount will normally be between about 0.10% and about 10%, with amounts between about . ~ .
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The present invention also contemplates the encapsulation of some or all of the flavoring agent, the sweetening agent, and mixtures thereof to prolong the duration of flavor and sweetness sensation.
Encapsulated delivery systems for flavoring agents or sweetening agents comprise a hydrophobic matrix of fat or wax surrounding a sweetener or flavoring component core. The fats maly be selected from any number of conventional materials such as fatty acids, glycerides, polyglycerol esters, sorbi~ol esters, and mixtures thereof. Examples of fatt~ acids include hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, rice bran oil, soybean oil, cotton~eed oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil and mixtures thereof.
- Other fatty acid oils are contemplated. Glycerides which are useful include mono~,dl- and triclycerides.
20Waxe~ useful are cho en from among the group consisting o~ natural or synthetia waxes and mixtures thereof. Non-limiting examples include paraffin wax, petrolatum, carbowax, microcrystalline wax, beeswax, carnuba wax, candellila wax, lanolin, bayberry wax, 25sugarcane, spermaceti wax, rice bran wax and combinations thereof.
~; The fats and waxes may be used individually or in combination in amounts varying from about 10 to about ,~.
70% by weight of the delivery system, and preferably in amounts of about 40 to about 58~ by weight. When used in a combination, the fat and wax are preferably present 1 in a ratio o~ about 70:10 to about 85:15 o~ fat to wax.
Typical encapsulated flavor or sweetnes~
delivery systems are -disclosed in U.S. Patent No.
4,597,970 and U.S. Patent No. 4,722,845.
35Flavoring agents w011 ~nown to the chewing gum art may be added to the chewing gum compositions of the instant invention. These ~lavoring agents may be chosen , i' !
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--1 1-- . . . ~ , from synthetic flavor oils, flavorinqs and!or oils derived from plants, leaves, flowers, fruits and so forth,. and combinations thereof. Representative flavor Qils include: spearmint oil, cinnamon oil, oil of wintergreen (methylsalicylate~ and pepp~rmint oils as well as their flavoring replacements. Also useful are artificial, natural or synthetic fruit flavors such as citrus oil including lemon, orange, grape, lime and ~ grapefruit and ~ruit essences including apple, ; lo strawberry, cherry, pineapple, banana and so forth.
Other fruit flavors well known to the art are also employable. Mixtures can be employed.
The amount of flavoring agent employed is normally a matter of pre~erence subject to such factors as flavor type, base type and strength desired. In ;
general, amounts of about 0.05% to about 3.0~ by we,ight of ~he final chewing gum composition are usable with amounts of about 0.3% to about 1.5~ being pre~erred and about O~7% to about 1.2~ being most preferred.
The chewing gum compositions generally contain a ma~or portion of a sweetening agent. Sweetening agents can be selected from a wide range of materials such as water-soluble sweetening agents, water-soluble artificial sweetening agents, and dipeptide-based ~ -~; sweeteners, including mixtures thereof. Without being -~ -limited to particular sweeteners, representative illustrations encompass~
A. Water-soluble sweetening agents such as monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides such as xylose, ribose, glucose, mannose, galactose, ;
fructose, dextrose, sucrose, sugar, maltose, partially hydrolyzed starch or corn syrup solids and sugar alcohol~ suoh as sorbitol, ~xylitol, mannitol and mixtures thereof.
B. Water-soluble artificial sweetening agents such as the soluble saccharin salts, i.e., sodium or ; ~ ;
calcium saccharin alts, cyclamate salts, acesul~ame-X
~' and the liXe, and the free acid form of saccharin.
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C. Dipeptide based artificial sweetening agents such as L-aspartyl-L phenylalanine methyl ester and materials described in U.S. Patent No. 3,492~131 and the like.
D. Chlorosucrose derivatives.
The water-soluble sweetening agents described in category A above, are preferably used in amounts of about 25~ to about 75% by weight and most preferably from about 50~ to about 65% by weight of the final chewing gum composition. In contrast, the artificial sweetening agents described in catsgories B and C are used in amounts of about 0.005% to about 5.0% and most preferably about 0.05% to about 2.5% by weight of the final chewing gum composition. These amounts are ;15 ordinarily necessary to achieve the desirable sweetness independent of the flavor level achieved from flavor ; oils.
The chewing gum compositions of this invention may additionally include the conventional additives of coloring agents such as titanium dioxides; aclditional ~il}ers such as aluminum hydroxide, alumina, aluminum sllicates; gum base fillers such as talc and calcium carbonate and combinations thereof; and additional emulsifiers such as lecithin and glycerol monostearate.
The amount of filler in the gum base should remain within the range of about 10 to about 25% by weight of ;~ the gum base.
The process embodying method o~ the present in~ention is as follows. The gum base is conventionally melted at temperatures that may range from about 40C to ~ about 120- for a period of time sufficient to render the i base molten. For example, the gum base may bs heated under th2se condikions ~or a period of about ~0 minutes just prior to miXing with the remaining ingredients of the gu~ composition.
~ A pre~erred procedure in~olves mixing the heated gum base with the water-soluble sweetening agent, and flavoringO The optional water-soluble artificial , , : ' " ' :

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sweetener, dipeptide-based sweetener and colorant are also added at this time if present. The nature o~ the claimed invention requires, in order to be mixed properly, that, as the ~ixing begins, the hydrophobic softening agent is added ~o the heat:ed mixture to wet out the above ingredients, especially the sweetening agent~ Otherwise the ingredients would not bind to and blend with the gum base. It is also at this stage that the hydrophobic softening agent coat:s the hygroscopic ingredients to provide moisture resistance to the final composition. The remainder of the~ ingredients, and other additives, if any, are added and the resulting composition is then mixed for a period of time that may range as high as 30 minutes, to form a fully uniform homogeneous composition. The mass is then removed from the mixer and may th~reafter be formed into various final shapes by known gum manufacturing techniques, without cooling. For example, the mass may be rolled in contact with a conventional du~ing medium, such as Z0 calcium carbonate, mannitol, tal¢ and otheri~.
Unlike conventional chewing gum composition~/
; the present compositions do not require conditioning prior to wrapping and can be wrapped immediately within two hours of rolling without fear of wrapping materials adhering to the chewing gum product. Prior to wrapping, i the chewing gum pieces may be coated with a sweetening - agent in the known manner at ambient temperatures and up to 80% relative humidity.
The techniques associated with the preparation ;~ of the productis are well-known and the present method ~; may vary somewhat depending upon the spaci~ic end 4' product to be manufactured, ~ithout departing from the es~ential parameters re}ating to the addition of ; hydrophobic softening agents. Such other details are presented for purposes of illustration and to provide a best mode for the practice of the invention, and therefore the invention should not be }imited to those parameters.
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Chewing gum products made by the above process using the disclosed formulations have remained fresh, soft and pliable for one year or more with a minimum of protective packaging. For example, unwrapped sticks of cbewing gum have remained soft, pliable and have retained their quality and freshneæs ~or a year or more ln the open air or in unsealed pouchei3. This advantage is attributable to the combination of chewing gum ingredients processed in the manner described.
The instant inventlon therefore contemplates a chewing gum composition which remains fresh for a year or more with a minimum of protective wrapping, having a moisture content of up to about 0.3% by weight and capable of being extruded, formed, coated and wrapped without cooling or conditioning.
The following examples are given to illustrate the invention, but are not deemed to be limiting ~ thereof. All percentages given throughout the ; ~ speci~ication are basedi upon weight unless otherwise ~` 20 indicated.
~XAMPLES
EX~MPLES 1-6 Experimental samples of substantially moisture - free chewing gum resistant to moisture pic~up are prepared together with a glycerin-softened control sample, according to the following formulations listed in ~able 1.
Examples 2-6 showed significantly higher ERH
values than Example 1, a control representing a conventional formulation, and, as would be expected, ~' demonstrated superior resistance to moisture pick-up over the control.

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Ouantitative Determination_of Moisture Pickup Unwrapped chewing gum sticks ~ormed ~rom Example~ 1-6 were prepared, weighed and put into a desslcator containing a saturated solution of ammonium chloride to induce 80% RH. The dessicator is then .. ; placed at a 27C incubator. The gum pieces are then reweighed wsekly for three consecut:ive weeks. The : weight change is attributed to moisture pickup and the percent dewing is calculated thérefore as follows: -lo New weight - ori~inal weiqht x loo = % dewing ;:. . original weight-The results of th~se tests, depicted ; ;~ graphically in Figure 1, indicate that the present formulations prepared by the present -process show insignificant change in percent dewing after three weeks ~: at 27C/80% RH. The control, representing a ;I conventional formulation, however, showed a marked .. ' increase in moisture pickup within the first week.
E~amples 7-lo Experimental samples were prepared as in Examples 2-6, according to the formulation listed in Table 2. Examples 7-10 also showed significantly higher ERH values than the Example l control as well as . superior resistance to moisture pick-up measured in : 25 percent dewing, depicted in Figure 2. ~xamples 7-10 out-performed the control and examples 2-6 after three weeks exposure to 27C/80% RH.

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E,xamples_ll a~d ~2 An experimental sample was prepared as in " Examples 1-6 using higher guantitieF,, of 'gum base and hydrophobic so~tening agent, together with a control sample using the same gum base and glycerin softening agent, according to the formulations listed in Table 3.
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The invention being thus described, it will be ~: obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such ,. 10 modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
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Claims

1. An anhydrous chewing gum composition resistant to moisture pickup comprising a gum base, a flavoring agent, a sweetening agent and a hydrophobic softening agent.

2. The chewing gum composition of claim 1, comprising from about 0.10% to about 10.0% of said softening agent by weight of said chewing gum composition.

3. The chewing gum composition of claim 2, comprising from about 1.0% to about 7.0% of said softening agent by weight of said chewing gum composition.

4. The chewing gum composition of claim 3, comprising from about 2.0% to about 3.0% of said softening agent by weight of said chewing gum composition.

5. The chewing gum composition of claim 1, wherein said softening agent is selected from the group consisting of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, mineral oils, polyglycerol esters having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance less than about 14, and mixtures thereof.

6. The chewing gum composition of claim 5, wherein said polyglycerol ester is a fatty acid ester.

7. The chewing gum composition of claim 6, wherein said polyglycerol fatty acid ester is selected from the group consisting of stearate esters, oleate esters, and mixtures thereof.

8. The chewing gum composition of claim 7, wherein said polyglycerol fatty acid ester is selected from the group consisting of triglycerol monostearate, hexaglycerol distearate, decaglycerol hexaoleate, decaglycerol decaoleate, and mixtures thereof.

9. The chewing gum composition of claim 5, wherein said partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is selected from the group consisting of cottonseed oil, soybean oil, hard palm oil, corn oil and mixtures thereof.

10. The chewing gum composition of claim 1, wherein said sweetening agent is selected from the group consisting of water-soluble sweetening agents, water-soluble artificial sweetening agents, dipeptide. based sweetening agents, chlorosucrose derivatives and mixtures thereof.

11. The chewing gum composition of claim 1, wherein said flavoring agent is selected from the group consisting of peppermint oil, spearmint oil, cinnamon oil, oil of wintergreen, fruit flavors and mixtures thereof.

12. The chewing gum composition of claim 11, wherein said flavoring agent is encapsulated in a hydrophobic mixture of fat or wax.

13. The chewing gum composition of claim 1, further comprising at least one additive selected from the group consisting of emulsifiers, bulking agents, fillers, mineral adjuvants, coloring agents and mixtures thereof.

14. The chewing gum composition of claim 1, wherein said gum base includes an elastomer selected from the group consisting of natural elastomers and synthetic elastomers.

15. The chewing gum composition of claim 1, wherein said gum base has a softening point between about 60°C and about 120°C.

16. The chewing gum composition of claim 1, having a moisture content up to 0.3% by weight of the final composition.

17. A chewing gum resistant to moisture pickup comprising:
(a) from about 5% to about 55% by weight of gum base;
(b) from about 0.10% to about 10% by weight of a hydrophobic softening agent, selected from the group consisting of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, mineral oils, polyglycerol esters having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance less than about 14, and mixtures thereof (c) from about 0.05% to about 3.0% by weight of a flavoring agent; and (d) from about 25% to about 75% by weight of a water soluble sweetening agent.

18. The chewing gum composition of claim 17, which further includes an artificial sweetening agent selected from the group consisting of water-soluble artificial sweetening agents, dipeptide based sweetening agents and chlorosucrose derivatives.

19. A process for preparing a substantially moistureless chewing gum composition resistant to hardening and moisture pickup, which process comprises admixing melted gum base and sweetening agent, said gum base and sweetening agent being substantially moistureless, and mixing until a homogeneous mass is formed;
admixing a flavoring agent and mixing until a homogeneous mass is formed;
admixing a hydrophobic softening agent and mixing until a homogeneous mass is formed; and forming said homogeneous mass into suitable chewing gum pieces without cooling.

20. The process of claim 19, further including coating said chewing gum pieces with a sweetening agent at ambient temperatures and at up to 80% relative humidity.

21. A chewing gum composition, prepared by the process of claim 19, in the form of a stick, slab, chunk, ball, rope, tablet or center-filled gum.

22. The process of claim 19, wherein said hydrophobic softening agent is selected from the group consisting of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, mineral oils, polyglycerol esters having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance less than about 14 and mixtures thereof.

23. A chewing gum composition, prepared by the process of claim 19, having a moisture content up to about 0.3%.